For over 600 years, Malaysia has welcomed visitors from around the world, thanks to its location at the centre of the major trading routes between Asia, the Middle East and the West. Along with the visitors, Malaysia has also welcomed their different customs and cultures, making its population a microcosm of Asian cultures with a rich multicultural mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous tribes. This has created a melting pot of customs, cuisines, languages, lifestyles and cultures. It is easy to see why English is widely spoken here and why most Malaysians are multilingual. Malaysia’s bustling economy is at the heart of the world’s largest economic growth region. The nation is a key player within ASEAN and the South East Asia region, which has a population of over 600 million. Along with the neighbouring giants of India and China, the Asia region constitutes over 45% of the world’s population. Under the government’s Economic Transformation Programme, with the goal for Malaysia to achieve developed nation status by 2020, the country has become a role model for the developing world with a growing diversity of industry sectors. Substantial investments have been made in infrastructure, research, education and urban development over the last decade, which have helped create a vibrant and dynamic economy.
Malaysia’s multicultural society makes it one of the most tolerant and accepting societies in the world. Because of this, its people respect di fferences while celebrating similarities which helps unify the nation. This diversity is evident in many facets of the society. As a result, Malaysians are peace-loving by nature and are renowned for their hospitality towards visitors from around the world. Because of these attributes, Malaysia is increasingly being chosen as the first host destination within Asia for international convention organizers.
As the nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur is a major cultural, financial, economic and education centre for the South East Asia Region. The city is a kaleidoscope of fascinating sights and sounds, with all the buzz of a modern city, yet rich in culture and heritage. You will find some stunning contrasts in this city, on one end of the spectrum there’s the modern PETRONAS Twin Towers and on the other, there is numerous pre-war heritage buildings, which reflect Kuala Lumpur’s rich past, juxtaposed nicely with the modern architecture. Today, 1.6 million people from all walks of life call Kuala Lumpur home while the surrounding area is home to an estimated 7 million people with diverse ethnic mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous cultures. The city boasts a comprehensive and very affordable transportation network that makes getting around hassle-free including light rail, monorail and taxi. With massive investment in venues, transportation and technological infrastructure over the last two decades, Kuala Lumpur is fast becoming a popular destination for major events and conventions.
Malaysia is ranked as one of the world’s best value-for-money destinations with facilities like accommodation, transportation and food being very affordable and competitively priced. Malaysia is also ranked as one of the safest countries in this region by the Institute for Economic and Peace’s Global Peace Index.
APAEI 2019 is fully endorsed and supported by the Government of Malaysia through its Ministry of Education and Ministry of Tourism. Every reasonable assistance has been pledged to the lead organizer, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and its consortium of partners.
Malaysia experiences a warm tropical weather all year round. Temperatures range from a low of 21°C (70°F) to a high of 32°C (90°F) with little variation throughout the year. In Kuala Lumpur city centre, a network of covered and air-conditioned walkways have been constructed to pro- vide convenient pedestrian access to venues, accommodation, retail and entertainment precincts.
Malay or “Bahasa Melayu” is the o fficial language in Malaysia, but communicating should not be a problem as English is widely spoken here. In fact, Malaysia was ranked highest in the English Proficiency Index 2012 among non-native speaking Asian countries and the only country outside Europe.
The local currency is the Malaysian Ringgit (RM). Money changing services are available throughout the city including KLCC, KLIA Airport and the surrounding areas.You may also choose to withdraw money using major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) from any automated teller machines (ATMs), which can be easily found throughout the city.